For the love of Remus and Tonks :) Part 2
by somuchtimesolittletodo
Summary: Part 2 (of currently 2) of a story about how Remus and Tonks met and fell in love. Please enjoy and leave (constructive!) feedback :)
Part 2

The landscape was changing. Things were becoming more dangerous. Sirius' death hit me hard. He was murdered by Bellatrix. I knew how things could have been if I had managed to take her out before she got to him.

My head seemed to be filled with thoughts of who must blame me for his death. Harry. Molly. Remus? I knew it was all in my head and that things had happened too fast for me to have been able to do anything. I picked up from my mood when others were around – or so I thought.

We had to move out of Grimmauld Place and so it was on a stormy night that I tramped across the hilly grounds to reach The Burrow. Nightfall was just about slipping in and everything appeared to be a variation of blue and black around me. Rain fell sporadically but even so it wasn't long before I was drenched. The wind whistled around me, as though it were playing and mocking me.

The Burrow was a welcoming place. The mismatched rooms sat atop one another precariously, so that the whole building had an air of potential collapse at any moment.

I rapped three times on the door and did my best to metamorphose my hair dry. Unfortunately, whether due to stress or something else, my abilities did not serve me as they should. And so it was with untidy brown hair and a generally gloomy appearance that I entered their home.

Arthur, who had answered the door, endeavoured not to react too obviously. He led me down their passageway into the kitchen where Molly was sitting humming along to the radio. She took one look at me and exclaimed, 'Oh Tonks!'

I was embarrassed at the remonstrations that followed.

It was only later that Molly told me he was there… in the building. I shrugged to show my nonchalance and wiped a tangle of wet hair that had stuck to my forehead away. Molly was scrutinising me suspiciously.

'Are you sure you're ok?' She asked leading me to their sitting room. He sat, like the others, absorbed in conversation and seemed not to notice me. I willed my hair to look better, or at least dry but it remained soggy and forlorn. Midway through a sentence, he caught my eye and stopped mid-conversation.

His tentative smile made me forget that I looked terrible but I couldn't return it. Instead I looked away.

I had avoided him initially after the previous incident and he had not visited in a long time. I had last seen him that fateful day at the Ministry.

I looked around the room. There was Kingsley Shacklebolt who was speaking slowly to a hooded figure that had just arrived – this turned out to be Snape. Professor McGonagall (I still couldn't bring myself to call her Minerva) was sat between Professor Sprout and Alastor Moody. Remus was talking to Hestia Jones, after recovering from earlier. Now that I was less visible, I studied him a bit more closely.

He looked shabbier than the last time I had seen him, and more unhealthy. The scratches and injuries were less evident, perhaps because they were no longer to his face. His blue eyes had struck a chord with me earlier. I realised I wanted to see them again.

'Tonks!' I heard someone call across the room, not finding the source immediately.

'Tonks,' came a second exclamation. It was Charlie Weasley. He was carrying what looked an enormous Easter egg but was probably one of the dragon variety.

Instead of saying hello, I said, 'Is that what I think it is?'

Charlie grinned and set the egg down in the fireplace behind me.

Charlie was a bit younger than me by a couple of years. He had a kind, weatherbeaten face and muscled arms with more than a few shiny burns. He seemed to enjoy the attention these got. All of this was topped off with the shock of red hair that marked him as a part of the Weasley clan.

'How are you?' he smiled. We got talking about his latest project in Hungary with a nest of horntails.

I realised that we had talked through most of dinner and I hadn't paid much attention to anyone else. When Charlie got up to check on his egg, Molly called him away.

I sat, not wanting to face the rest of my room. I realised my hair had dried and I nervously patted down the poofed up mess it had surely become.

'It's not so bad you know,' came a voice.

'Remus!' I exclaimed. I couldn't help looking happy to see him; something that was not lost on him either. He looked a little amused at my enthusiasm and I immediately felt silly thinking of what had happened the last time we had seen each other.

I felt awkward not knowing what to say. It wasn't like old times when our conversations were easy. The situation was difficult as I didn't want to seem put out by him but, by the same token, I wanted him to know I was suffering (I was, I couldn't even change a lock of hair to its usual bubble gum pink).

'Don't look at me too long, this is not what I actually look like.'

'Ok,' he replied, looking a little confused.

I stared at the table gloomily. I stood, and apologised, 'Sorry Remus I have to go.'

I walked out and into the corridor to sit on the stairs, feeling stupid. When I looked up, he was there.

'I am beginning to worry about you Dora,' came his voice. Remus looked concerned. I felt bad.

'You don't need to worry about me Remus, I'm just having a bit of a tough run at the moment but I'll be right again soon enough.'

Remus continued to survey me when I looked up.

We didn't break eye contact. He came to sit next to me on the stairs and I held my breath.

'What's going on?'

I told him about what had happened with Sirius. I didn't even have to put my guilt into words, he didn't need me to. When I finished, he said nothing, but laced his fingers around mine. It might not have meant much to him but it was a great comfort to me. I stared at our hands together for the longest time, his long fingers intertwined my short, stubby ones.

I needed to say it out loud or I might regret it if he were to leave … or if something happened to him. I could see the yellowing bruises more closely behind his ear, on the underside of his chin.

'Remus, I-' I choked, and then cleared my throat and tried to look as straight faced as possible. But no words came out. We held each other's gaze, and our lips met moments later. It was the most intense moment, and tears leaked from the corners of my eyes.

When we broke apart I apologised again. Remus, who had started to look worried again, smiled.

'I missed you,' I said looking at the floor, 'I remember what you said to me but you should have remembered what I said back…I don't want anyone but you.'

Remus stared, looking surprised.

I rested my head on his shoulder without thinking. I couldn't face being rejected again.

'I'm in love with you Tonks,' he said slowly.

I sat up straight suddenly and looked anywhere but at him. 'I think you're the reason I couldn't metamorphose properly anymore,' I said staring at the ground, 'I couldn't concentrate.' And so, feeling like a giant balloon of happiness was about to burst in my chest, I beamed and told him I loved him too.

'Well, I'm glad we cleared that up.' He answered simply. The turn of the corner of his mouth gave him away and then we were both giggling on the stairs.

When we returned to the dining room my hair was back to its usual bubble gum pink.


End file.
